Zelenskyy Says Trump’s Support of Putin is a ‘Historic Mistake’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is condemning President Donald Trump's backing of Putin, describing it as a "historic mistake." The remark comes from an interview with Kristen Welker, who moderates Meet the Press, and was previewed on October 18, 2026, when she joined NBC's Hallie Jackson on Sunday TODAY, according to NBC News.

The two spoke one on one. Zelenskyy responded to questions about Trump's suspension of sanctions on Russia and about whether he intends to stay on as his country's president. His full answers were not spelled out in the material, which offers only the headline characterization and the topics covered.

NBC's video listings beside the preview also include a separate segment titled Trump Says Ukraine Needs a New Leader After Zelenskyy Clash. That headline indicates the two presidents had a confrontation, and that Trump has called for different leadership in Ukraine. The listings give no date or detail for that confrontation, so its circumstances remain unclear. Both items run under two minutes each within NBC's morning-show programming.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NBC News’s reporting. Read the full story at NBC News →